RAOS 2024 Minutes

 

Present: Councillors Rose, Shinkins-Hoppe, Smith, Stevens, Townsin and one member of the public

The minutes were taken by the Parish Clerk. 

 

25.28  To receive and accept apologies where valid reasons for absence have been given to the Parish Clerk prior to the meeting.

Apologies had been received and were accepted from Councillor Hosking 

 

25.29 To receive declarations of interest.

None declared 

 

25.30 To agree the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 3 September 2024. 

Agreed and signed

 

25.31 To receive the Clerk’s report and any update on matters arising from the previous minutes. 

-There have been a number of incidences of graffiti around the parish on some on parish council owned property and some on private property. Parish council assets affected have been three bus shelters (two on Broadgate Lane and one on Thackers Way) and one electricity cabinet (on Jubilee Park). This has been cleaned by the maintenance staff and also reported to South Kesteven District Council’s neighbourhood team and Lincolnshire Police. 

-The two goalposts purchased earlier in the year have now been installed at Woody Heights Recreation Area on Linchfield Road 

-The parts reported as defective or missing on the outdoor gym equipment during the recent RoSPA play equipment inspection have now been purchased from the manufacturers and installed by the maintenance team. 

-The quotation for repairs to the surface of the skate park reported during the same inspections has been accepted from the company who installed the skate park and the Clerk is awaiting confirmation of a date for the work to commence. 

-The two 10ft horse chestnut trees that were donated by a member of the public have now been planted – one at the rear of Millennium Wood and one at the Cemetery. 

Councillor Shinkins-Hoppe expressed her concern about the location at which the horse chestnut had been planted in the Cemetery as it would be close to the slabbed path that the Cemetery committee had agreed to have laid in April 2025 suggesting that it should be moved to a more suitable location. Both the Hall Meadow Allotments site and the open space on Fraser Close were put forward as more appropriate locations. 

ACTION: The Clerk was asked to speak to the volunteer, who planted the trees on behalf of the Parish Council to arrange the removal and replanting.      

-The Clerk has accepted the offer of two Oak Saplings from another member of the public and it has been agreed, at the suggestion of the member of the public, that they will be planted in gaps within the hedgerow at the allotments site.

-The World War One planter on the green at Churchgate has been re-planted and the volunteer who does this has advised that she will liaise with another member of the public to agree the re-homing of the 5 oak seedlings that have grown within it at appropriate locations around the parish.  

-Poppies and tributes have been placed on lampposts and buildings along Church Street for the Remembrance period. 

-The highway verge grass cutting has improved following the meeting with the contractor and the receipt of updated improved plans from Lincolnshire County Council highways. 

-Quotations for grounds maintenance of highway verges, Jubilee Park, Woody Heights and the Riverbank for 2025 have been requested from 3 contractors. 

It was noted that the current contracts had not as yet been reviewed by Councillors Rose (DSJPC) and Wey (MDTC). 

ACTION: Councillor Rose advised that she would try to obtain a template of the contract used by the organisation she worked for and share this with the Clerk. 

-The offer of a concrete table tennis table from South Kesteven District Council has been accepted and the Clerk is awaiting confirmation that funding has been granted and when the table will arrive. 

 

25.32 Jubilee Park 

1.To receive an update about the first stage (design, consultation and production of tender documents) towards improving Jubilee Park following the consultation at the Dog Show on 29 September 2024.

Councillor Smith advised that the feedback from the event had been good with 33 responses overall positive. Suggestions considered included – lighting, play equipment, bandstand, paths, quiet area and planting/wilding. The Jubilee Park improvement working group are to meet with Groundwork East to discuss the priorities as it is unlikely funds will be available for everything to be completed at once. 

2.To consider the quotation received to complete an online questionnaire to further obtain local views on the park development.   

Councillor Smith explained that the cost of this questionnaire was not included within the grant received from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund however there was funding available within the Jubilee Park budget to cover the cost of it from which this committee had the delegated powers to spend. Work would now take place to prepare the questionnaire which would be circulated and promoted when ready. It was noted that further consultation would take place at the Carols in the Marquees event at the Waterton Arms on Friday 13 December 2024 

ACTION: The Clerk to contact Groundwork East accepting the quotation 

3.To consider the installation of signage, fencing and a water supply on the park 

Councillor Shinkins-Hoppe had requested that these three items be considered. She advised that there was no signage on the gate to the play area advising of responsibility for the area  

ACTION: The Clerk will contact a local signage provider to arrange for a sign to be installed on the gate the play area advising of contact details if there are any issues. 

It was noted that any fencing requirements will be built into the overall project design.

Councillor Shinkins-Hoppe felt it would be beneficial to have a water supply on the park to aide the watering of all the planting that was expected and it would also be useful at events held there. The Clerk advised that the maintenance team have access to water at the Allotments and the Cemetery and currently transport water via several containers to other areas in the parish to water the planters. The committee agreed to delegate the task of contacting Anglian Water to investigate the options and costs of installing a water supply to Councillor Smith.      

 

4.To consider the work specification for tenders to landscape the wild area at Jubilee Park prior to a funding application being made to SKDC’s Make Space For Nature Biodiversity Project Scheme. 

Councillor Smith had shared the work specification which following advice from an Arborist included removal of some trees, additional planting and a maintenance and management plan. The committee agreed to accept the work specification and use it to obtain quotations for the landscaping. 

5. To consider a locating the donated bench from the Charity Legend on the Bench at the Crowson Way end of the Park. 

Following discussions about the location of the donated bench (September Council Minute 25.62.2) Councillor Shinkins-Hoppe and the Clerk had met with a Trustee of the Legend on the Bench charity to visit the two locations put forward (An area of land beside the Priory Church due to be developed as a garden of remembrance and reflection and The highway verge on Broadgate Lane DSJ, specifically a spot directly opposite no. 9 Broadgate Lane close to a Willow Tree). The location in the Churchyard was felt not to be appropriate and it was acknowledged that obtaining permission from LCC for the location on Broadgate Lane may be challenging as it was close to an area that may be subject to future housing development. The Crowson Way end of Jubilee Park was visited and the Trustee felt that this was a more suitable location enhancing the plans for this section of the field to be dedicated/allocated to reflection and being away from the children's play area. The Trustee advised that the bench did not have to be installed immediately, it had been allocated to DSJ Parish Council and would be available when required. 

ACTION: The Clerk was asked to respond advising that the exact location of the bench would be decided when the Jubilee Park project was nearing completion.  

 

25.33 To consider refurbishing the red K6 Telephone Box, to maintain it as a heritage feature in the parish and also with a view to re-purposing it. 

Councillor Shinkins-Hoppe advised that at the Market Deeping Town Council meeting in May 2023 a representative of the Deepings Lions had said that a project they would like to undertake would be to refurbish the telephone box in the Market Place. This had not come to fruition as that telephone box was still operational and owned by British Telecom. Perhaps the Lions would be interested in the telephone box in DSJ?   

It was acknowledged that advice on how to complete this work and who to employ to do so was required.

ACTION: The Clerk was asked to contact the Deeping Lions and also make enquiries of other Clerks via a Facebook group to ask if they had competed this and if so, obtain advice from them   

 

25.34 To consider purchasing a Christmas Tree to be planted/erected on the Green at Churchgate. 

A Church Warden had approached the Cahir of the Parish Council asking if this could happen and the Chair had been offered a suitably sized rooted tree.

Councillor Rose pointed out that this had been asked for previously and rejected by the Parish Council. 

The Clerk advised that the land was owned by Lincolnshire County Council (although the Parish Council had installed a planter, previously planted an oak tree since felled and did cut the grass) and that due to the proximity to residential dwellings the residents should be  consulted.

It was agreed to RECOMMEND to full council that a rooted Christmas Tree should be obtained and planted on the green at Churchgate following consultation with local residents and permission from Lincolnshire County Council 

 

25.35 To consider the insurance implications of holding future events in particular the Dog Show and events that are not solely organised by DSJPC. 

Following the Clerk contacting the Parish Councils current Insurers, in the week leading up to the event, to advise that a Dog Show and village fete was being held she had been advised that the insurance did not cover dog shows. This had led to a phone call to a local broker followed by phone calls to two more Insurance providers, none of whom could offer cover. It was acknowledged that the Dog Show had run for several years without any issues and it was a popular event. 

ACTION: As a number of neighbouring Local Councils held Dog Shows the Clerk was asked to contact them to seek further advice and report back to the next committee meeting

 

25.36 To note the date of the next meeting – 8pm on Tuesday 7 January 2025.